The Challenge
Low, erratic rainfall coupled with degraded, infertile soil presents near-insurmountable challenges to families who live on less than $1 per day and struggle to survive as subsistence farmers.
Because traditional farming does not yield enough money for these families to survive, they have grown reliant on the unsustainable use of natural resources - cutting down indigenous trees to sell as fuelwood or cooking charcoal. This exacerbates Africa’s dangerously high levels of deforestation and leaves agricultural livelihoods in further peril.
For families living on less than a dollar per day, the immediate need for income far outweighs the long‐term consequences of deforestation. As a result, thousands of acres of indigenous tree cover have been lost and ecosystems are dying at an astonishing rate. Farm land is becoming ever‐more infertile and environments are eroding, leaving families with no available means for survival.
These converging economic and environmental challenges lead to negative social outcomes, as families are unable to make necessary investments in education, health, and nutrition.
KOMAZA's microforestry program is designed to help farmers overcome their environment by sustainably transforming their land into life-changing income. Kenya's vast unmet demand for wood products provides an opportunity for farmers to plant their way out of poverty, and by working with them to unite the full value chain required for profitable tree farming we help farmers earn a better future and escape the vicious cycle of poverty and environmental degradation.